Bravia KDL46-NX810 vs Samsung UN46C8000XF

To the OP-

Will your new set be going in the same room/location as your old CRT? If so, it is difficult to imagine that light and glare will be much more of a problem with a plasma than they were with your CRT.

We have been all-plasma since about 2004, and never have thought twice about glare issues when locating the sets. IMO glare issues with plasma vs. LCD are far overblown.

Also IMO, there is no comparison between plasma and LCD/LED LCD regarding PQ-- especially with sports. Several of our neighbors have newer LCDs, and personally I just cannot stand the cartoonish image ("soap opera effect") of these sets, even when the proper adjustments are made to address it. However, many people do not seem to be bothered by this at all (or even see it), even when I try to point it out (which I'm sure must get annoying).

Specifically regarding this issue, the Sony sets I've seen have a more natural picture than the Samsungs.

I know it would be a pain, but perhaps you could purchase a plasma from a dealer with a good return policy, if it truly does not work in your location?

Good luck

Thanks for your responses.
My frustration is the lack of a reputable dealer for demo'ing. What used to be a reputable audio dealer become an AV dealer and is now out of business; a seemingly common victim of 'darwin' economics!
I do have glare issues on bright days with my current CRT. If only I could see some live broacast sports on these models to determine if they're acceptable to me. I'll probably go the Sony route since I'm leaning toward the more natural presentation it provides.

Side by side comparisons are fine only if its a fair playing field. The setup of many of the in store demos can be drastically different and are seldom calibrated. LCD/LED's typically come from the factory cranked all the way up which will make many displays seem overly bright and cartoonish and drastically shorten their lifespan. This goes a long way in a store comparison to the uneducated buyer who equate brighter with better, which it may be but only after calibration. Simply going into setup menus of the different in store sets can reveal the disparity.

Once calibrated plasmas typically have a more vibrant and somewhat brighter picture as well as the ability to produce darker shaded images and absolutly no motion blur and a longer life span compared to LCD/LED's. The day when plasmas didn't have enough luminescence for a bright room is long gone. Their only down side is they may use more power and create more heat.

Formal reviews can be of far greater help than a side by side comparison. The before and after calibration graphs and even the subjective opinions will be of greater use as a buyer.

Don't forget to check on out of state tax less pricing with free insured shipping.

I bought a Sony 60 inch LCD about 8 months ago and could not be happier. Interestingly, Sony seems to have some strange exclusive relationship with Costco with certain size TV's, since my "high end" local dealer could not actually get the 60 incher and only had the 55 incher. He tried to convince me that I actually want the 55 incher. Although I wanted to give the local dealer business, I needed the 60 incher so recluctantly had to buy from Costco. I never thought I would ever buy any electronics product from that place, but I did. Great product and great return policy, etc. forget plasma with windows in the room, LCD is the answer for you